The Whole of the Moon
by Speaker-to-Customers
Summary: A side story to 'Tabula Avatar' taking place during chapters 64-67. The goddess Shar seeks to end old conflicts as she prepares for war against Lolth. Her attempt to negotiate a truce with her sister Selûne goes horribly wrong...
1. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

**Author's note: **this story is a side story to 'Tabula Avatar', taking place simultaneously with Chapters 64 to 67 of that story, and will make no sense at all if you're not reading 'Tabula Avatar'.

**Chapter One: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress**

Selûne was in her form as a dusky-skinned maiden with ivory hair. She wore her silver scale mail, its discs glowing softly, and she carried the Wand of Four Moons. Her eyes were cold as she glared at Shar. "Well? What do you want, sister?"

"An end to this war between us," Shar replied. She wore only her purple robes and bore no weapon. "I have already informed my worshippers that they are no longer to attack yours without provocation, and to fight them only in self-defense, and no longer must my priests slay one of yours in order to gain entry into the Dark Justiciars."

"And what do you ask in return?"

"That you give similar orders to your followers. They are not to attack mine without provocation either. And I want you to apologize."

"Apologize?" Selûne almost spat the word out. "For what?"

"I was wrong to extinguish your lights, and to break your handiwork, I admit it," Shar said, "but it was you who resorted first to violence. This conflict between us is as much your fault as it is mine. Admit it, and apologize, and perhaps we can find peace."

"There was no other way to stop you," Selûne said.

"You did not even try." Shar's lips tightened briefly. She paused, made a conscious effort to relax, and spoke again more quietly. "It is not my desire to go over old wrongs. I apologize for my part in our quarrel. Do the same and we can bring this to an end."

"Yes, we shall bring this to an end," Selûne said grimly. "You were a fool to come here, sister." She raised her wand. Light shone forth, a beam of searing brilliance, lighting up the floor, the walls, and the roof above. "In my own realm I am paramount. Your greater strength counts for nothing."

Shar recoiled, futilely because the light came from every direction, and raised an arm to cover her eyes. "So you reject my offer? Yet I shall not rescind my orders immediately. I shall give you a chance to reconsider before I once more send forth my clerics to slay yours."

"They will be powerless without their goddess," Selûne said.

Shar lowered her arm and her eyes widened before screwing up half-shut against the light once more. "What? You intend to detain me here? I came in good faith."

"Nothing you do is in good faith," Selûne spat out. "Everything you say is a lie, a deception, manipulation in the cause of Evil. You seek to gain something. I shall not be taken in."

"I seek to conserve my strength for my struggle against Lolth, whom I intend to destroy," Shar told her. "Would it not be wise for you to do likewise, and concentrate your efforts against your true foe Umberlee, rather than wasting your powers and the lives of your followers in a pointless conflict with me?" Her tone had grown harsh but it softened again. "There was a time when we were so close that we were almost one being. I do not expect our relationship ever to return to that state but could not we, at least, live in peace with each other?"

"Never!" Selûne snapped.

Shar shook her head. "I have offered an olive branch. I can do no more. Farewell, then, my sister. I hope that you come to your senses and reconsider."

"What makes you think you are leaving?" Selûne snapped her fingers. Thirty shining figures materialized in a circle around the two goddesses. "Without you your priests will be powerless."

"And you're supposed to be the good one?" Shar said bitterly. "I'm leaving. If your Shards try to stop me then the pain they will suffer is on your hands." She turned to walk away.

Selûne snapped her fingers again. "Take her!" she ordered her servitors, the Shards, Celestial planetars in the forms of young women. "Bind her in chains of light." The Shards raised gleaming maces. Ten of them grew wings and took to the air.

"Selûne, do not do this," Shar appealed. Selûne made no reply other than to beckon her forces to the attack. Shar bared her teeth, summoned the Disk of Night into her hand, and threw it at an approaching Shard. The magical chakram melted away in the light before it made contact. "So," Shar said, "I shall have to do this the hard way."

She dodged a mace blow from one of Selûne's servitors and struck back with her bare hand. The heel of her palm took the Shard under the chin and sent the being crashing to the ground. Shar tore off her robes, threw them over the head of a diving winged Shard, and danced lightly away. The other Shards pursued and hurled themselves upon the fleeing goddess.

Shar caught the arm of an attacker, pulled, and brought up her elbow. The Shard reeled away with Celestial blood streaming from a smashed nose. A spinning kick felled another. Shar drove stiff fingers into a throat, lashed the back of her fist into a face, and stamped out to take another Shard in the stomach.

Selûne stared in amazement. She had fought her sister before and had never seen her displaying such prowess in unarmed combat. Two more Shards fell in quick succession. Where had this new martial arts skill come from? If Selûne had ever seen Buffy, or Sorkatani, in action she would have known the answer. As it was she was taken completely by surprise.

One of the Shards threw her arms around Shar from behind. Shar drove an elbow into the planetar's stomach, used the room gained to seize one of the grasping arms, and twisted hard. She threw the Shard over her shoulder and kicked her in the face as she went down.

The next attacker missed with a mace blow and was seized. Shar pulled the Shard close and planted her lips on those of the planetar. For a second the Shard resisted but then succumbed and kissed back. Shar released her grip; the Shard immediately turned around and raised her mace against her sisters.

Shar pulled a flying attacker from the air, slammed her to the ground, and stamped on her. She took a glancing blow from a mace but retaliated with a hand-sword blow to the throat that left the Shard writhing and choking on the floor. The exit from the realm was in sight and enough of the Shards were down injured, or were struggling to subdue their former comrade who was now attacking them with berserk fury, that it seemed as if nothing could stop Shar from escaping.

Selûne raised a hand and spoke a word of command. In front of Shar a shimmering wall of light appeared; a Wall of Moonlight many times stronger than those Selûne's clerics could conjure. Shar recoiled. Passing through it would cause her dreadful injury.

A smile appeared on Shar's face. "_Tear down these walls they keep raising for me_," she sang. The Wall of Moonlight vanished. Selûne's jaw dropped in amazement. Shar ran on.

"I will not allow this," Selûne growled. She shaped the Wand of Four Moons into the form of a mace and teleported herself into Shar's path.

Shar's own ability to teleport was negated in Selûne's realm or she would already have escaped. She came to a halt, although her feet continued to move in her perpetual dance, and stared at Selûne. "Out of my way, sister. I did not come here to fight. You forced it upon me. I would never have expected such treachery from one who has always claimed to be good."

"Good does not mean stupid," Selûne said. "I would be foolish to pass up such an opportunity." She fired a sudden beam of light into her sister's eyes. Shar was blinded. Selûne brought her mace around in a swing at Shar's jaw. Shar was moving back, covering her eyes, and the blow was only a glancing one. It was enough to spin her half around, staggering, and left her open to Selûne's next blow. The mace connected solidly with the back of Shar's head and the Mistress of the Night toppled to the ground and lay still.

"Bind her!" Selûne commanded. Her Shards, bar those who lay injured or unconscious and three who grappled with the defector, rushed to obey. "Imprison her in a dungeon of light. There must be no shadows at all. Everything must glow."

When Shar opened her eyes she was chained to a post within a cage formed from beams of light. The post shone brilliantly, the chains glowed as brightly as if they had been white hot, and both floor and ceiling emitted a shining radiance. The rogue Shard was chained in similar fashion in a matching cage nearby. Selûne stood just outside the bars of Shar's cage.

"At last this war is over," Selûne said, when she saw that Shar had regained consciousness, "and I am the victor."

"Victor by treachery," Shar snarled. She shook her head and winced. "How could you do this? Such a betrayal is against all the ideals you claim to stand for."

"By capturing you, and thus weakening your church to the point where it will not survive, I am saving the lives of thousands," Selûne said. "I am a Power of Chaos, sister, as you should know. I see no wrong in breaking an agreement with one such as you." She gestured in the direction of the chained Shard. "I see now what your plan was. You intended to give me a 'sisterly' kiss and thus gain control of me."

Shar rolled her eyes. "Idiot! The Kiss of Shar would not have worked on a goddess, especially not in her own realm, and in fact I'm surprised that it worked on your Shard. I tried it only in sheer desperation."

"So you say. I care not. I have you now, sister, and I shall keep you until your worshippers have dwindled away and your power is gone."

Shar tensed in her chains. "You must not do this. You are condemning thousands to death and torment. Without my protection Lolth will slaughter my followers."

Selûne's face was impassive. "Why should I care what happens to those who have slaughtered _my_ followers for millennia?"

"My new converts have done nothing to you," Shar said. "Please. I beg you. At least extend protection, on my behalf, to my Chosen."

"Your Chosen?"

"Viconia De'Vir, my Flame of Darkness," Shar explained. "She was a Priestess of Lolth before she came to me and Lolth punishes apostates with unimaginable torments. Without my protection she will be set upon by Yochlols and dragged off to the Abyss."

"A just punishment for one stupid enough to worship you," Selûne said.

"Please. You cannot object to opposing the Demon Queen of Spiders," Shar said. "Do this small thing and I shall swear service to you for a century." She saw the stony cast of Selûne's face and appealed again. "For a thousand years, then. I beg you, sister, just this one thing. Please. You cannot condemn to death someone who has never harmed you, or any of your followers, and who is friend to worshippers of your friends Liira and Lathander."

"I tire of listening to your lies," Selûne said. She turned on her heel and took a step towards the dungeon door. "You can stay here and rot," she said, over her shoulder, "and your Chosen can go to Hell."

"No!" Shar screamed. "Please! I beg…" She stopped her pleas as Selûne continued on, unmoved, and reached the door. "You fucking bitch!" Shar yelled, tugging at her chains. "How could you do this? You're supposed to be the good one! When did you turn into the treacherous… lying…" The door slammed behind Selûne and Shar gave up her struggles and sagged in her chains. Her head sank down until her chin was almost on her chest and, very quietly, she started to weep.

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Disclaimer: Shar and Selûne are the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The lyrics quoted by Shar in this chapter are from 'Tear Down These Walls' by Runrig.


	2. Inconstant Moon

**Chapter Two: Inconstant Moon**

Vhaeraun ran his fingers lightly over his wrist bracer. The concealed dagger passed the test. Eilistraee would suspect nothing. He lowered his hands to his sides, adopted a disarmingly charming smile, and strode into the meeting chamber.

Eilistraee was already there. It was her custom to go nude but on this occasion she was clad in a diaphanous silver robe. Vhaeraun had no fears that she was using it to conceal weaponry; it was far too flimsy for that and, he knew, his sister was far too honest for such trickery. She was, however, holding her five-foot sword. She laid it down as soon as he entered, apparently making a point, and then walked several steps away from the weapon. A gesture of good faith?

"Brother," she greeted him.

"Sister," Vhaeraun replied. He unfastened his sword-belt and tossed it aside. Now he was apparently unarmed but, in reality, had a deadly weapon at his fingertips. The dagger was tiny but highly enchanted and the blade was coated with the most lethal venom in Vhaeraun's considerable arsenal. A well-placed strike could slay even a god, anywhere outside the god's own realm, and this meeting was on neutral ground.

Eilistraee took a tentative step towards her brother, and another, and then rushed the rest of the way to him. She threw her arms around him and pressed her cheek to his. "Oh, Vhaeraun, I have missed you so much," she said.

"I, uh, and I've missed you," Vhaeraun replied. He returned her embrace. Now his right hand was inches from his dagger and ideally positioned to pull it free and plunge the blade into her back.

"This is what I'd hoped for," Eilistraee continued, "when I insisted on sharing your punishment. That we could be reconciled and be together again."

"I thought that it was for the sake of our people," Vhaeraun said. He moved his fingers closer to the dagger.

"That too," said Eilistraee, "but you are my only brother. I love you."

Vhaeraun felt something wet on his cheek and realized that his mask was slightly damp with tears from Eilistraee's eyes. "I thought that you hated me," he said.

"I hated what you did," she said, "and the position that you put me in, but I don't hate you. I love you."

Vhaeraun lifted his left hand, the dagger forgotten, and cradled the back of Eilistraee's head. "I am sorry for what I put you through," he said. "Will you forgive me?"

"Of course," Eilistraee said. "Will you forgive me?"

Vhaeraun inhaled sharply. He had never expected such a request, with its implied admission of shared fault; a grudging and qualified one would not have surprised him, perhaps, but Eilistraee's unreserved appeal took him off guard. The last vestiges of his resentment towards his sister melted away. "There is nothing to forgive," he said. "The blame was entirely mine. I put you in an impossible position." He hugged Eilistraee tightly to his chest. "I'm sorry, beloved sister. Your forgiveness is more than I deserve."

"Don't worry about it," Eilistraee said, hugging him in return. "We are together again. That is all that matters." She released her grip on him. He squeezed her briefly and then let her go. Eilistraee stepped back slightly and looked him in the eyes. "The mask does not become you, brother," she said. "Let me see your face again."

Vhaeraun reached up and unfastened the mask. "I have not changed," he said. "It is a symbol only."

Eilistraee's lips tightened briefly. "A symbol of that part of you that I do not… of the issues on which we still differ," she said. "Yet… it is your job, I suppose. This is not a time for disagreement." Her mouth formed once more into a wide smile. "You serve your worshippers, as I serve mine, and we have already agreed that they shall help each other at need."

"I have lifted the prohibition on my followers socializing with yours," Vhaeraun said. "One of my High Priests was far too tempted by a swordswoman in your service. To punish him seemed harsh, for he had served me loyally, and celibacy was never something that I required of my servants. If our worshippers are working together it is illogical for them to be forbidden to… play together."

Eilistraee laughed. "Indeed so. I have heard that you have been… playing with the Lady Shar. I have not met her, only communicated through her servant Yoshimo, but it is said that one can judge a mistress by her servants. If that is so then she must be very different from how I had always thought of her. Tell me, my brother, what is she like?"

"Beautiful, wise, and charming," Vhaeraun said. He tilted his head to one side and his brow furrowed slightly. "I have known her for many years, and courted her to some extent since… that woman left me, but Shar has changed recently. She laughs far more than ever before, and her songs are no longer only mournful, and she shows wisdom and, indeed, compassion that I had never noticed in her previously. From being pleasant company, and someone who I would have liked to tumble had I the chance, she has become… well, I think I am in love with her."

"She sounds delightful," Eilistraee said, "and I very much liked her messenger Yoshimo. It was because of him that I agreed to this meeting. I owe him a great deal."

"It was Shar who persuaded me to meet with you," Vhaeraun told her.

"Then I owe her my thanks too," Eilistraee said. "Yet… everything I had ever heard about Shar was – well, to say that it was uncomplimentary would be putting it far too mildly. She seems to have changed so much. Is it possible that she… isn't Shar? That some other deity has slain the real Shar and taken her place?"

"I did not recognize her for a moment…" Vhaeraun mused. He shook his head. "No, she is definitely herself, although she has changed. She acknowledged as much herself and attributed it to the music of the bard who accompanies her Chosen One."

Eilistraee nodded. "The one who went by the name of Gelfein in Ust Natha," she said. "My priestess Evelintra has told me of him. He must be remarkable indeed to have influenced a god."

"Indeed so," Vhaeraun agreed. "His music is like nothing I had heard before. Perhaps we might listen to it together some time?"

"I'd like that," Eilistraee said.

"There is something else that may have influenced Shar," Vhaeraun said, "but it is a secret that she confided in me and I shall not reveal it without her permission lest I offend her."

"I understand," Eilistraee said. "She is the goddess of Unrevealed Secrets, after all."

"Indeed so," Vhaeraun said. "Now, sister, tell me of your own doings. Is there a man in your life?"

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"It seems that I embroiled you in this for nothing," Shar said to the planetar, "as all I achieved was to have you imprisoned as well as myself."

"I am sorry that I could not save you, Mistress," the Shard said.

"You are not at fault," said Shar. She heaved a sigh. "There seems little point in my keeping you under my control when it means only that you share my prison. I command that you regain your free will. Your mistress will no doubt then release you the next time that she comes here to gloat over me."

"But that would mean that you were left here alone," said the planetar, "and that would be a harsh and unjust fate. I will not abandon you, Mistress."

"Mistress?" Shar raised an eyebrow. "I have released you from my service, girl."

"I do not wish to be released," the Shard told her. "Well, I do wish to be released from these chains and this cage, of course, but I do not wish to leave your service. My former mistress behaved shamefully to you. I shall not return to the service of one so treacherous."

Shar's other eyebrow rose to match its twin. "I'm… pleased," she said. "Perhaps this mission was not a total loss after all, for it seems that I have gained an honorable servant. You might find my dark realm not to your taste, of course, but I could use you as a messenger to other realms, in the same way as I have been using the petitioner Yoshimo, and that might suit you very well."

"It would be my pleasure to serve you in such a capacity, Mistress," the Shard said.

"Assuming we manage to get out of here, of course," said Shar. "What is your name?"

"Egeria, Mistress," the Shard replied.

"Tell me, Egeria, can you sing? It would be a pleasant way to pass the time."

"I can," Egeria replied, "but I know only hymns to the glory of Selûne. They are hardly appropriate."

"Indeed not," Shar agreed. "Very well, then, I shall sing, and you can join in once you have learned the words and tunes. This is a song by a human bard that I have adopted as my own hymn."

_"We're running with the shadows of the night  
Baby take my hand, it'll be all right  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
They'll come true in the end…_"

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Eilistraee smiled at the petitioner as he entered her chamber. "It is good to see you, Yoshimo," she greeted him. "You come to arrange a meeting with your mistress, I presume? I look forward to it."

Yoshimo bowed to the goddess. "Alas, no, Lady. I seek your aid."

"Then you shall have it," Eilistraee promised, "for I owe you much. It was your words that persuaded me to agree to meet my brother. We are reconciled, after long ages apart, and my happiness is great."

"I am pleased for you, Lady," said Yoshimo.

"Thank you," Eilistraee said. "Now, Yoshimo, what is this aid you seek of me? Ask, and it shall be granted."

"My mistress went to meet with her sister," Yoshimo said. "Selûne would not agree to meet on neutral ground, saying that she feared Shar's greater strength and did not trust her, and insisted that my mistress must go to her realm at the Gates of the Moon. She agreed, and went there, and she has not returned. None knows where she is. One of her heralds went to enquire after her but was set upon and driven off by Selûne's servitors."

Eilistraee's eyes widened. "Any Power that could hinder Shar's return must be great indeed. I would not have thought that Lolth could have such strength, certainly not in the vicinity of Selûne's realm, and I know not who else might bear her ill will. Lathander, perhaps?"

"Might Selûne not be responsible?" Yoshimo suggested.

Eilistraee shook her head. "Impossible. She is a good and gentle goddess and my close friend. Some unknown foe must have intercepted Shar. Unless, of course, she has simply gone to visit my brother, neglecting to inform her servitors, and has lost track of time in his bed."

"That was our first thought, Lady," Yoshimo said, "but it is not the case. Vhaeraun knows nothing of her whereabouts. He has gone to search the Abyss for any clues."

"I hope he takes care," Eilistraee muttered.

"Also," Yoshimo went on, "the priests of Shar in the Prime are not receiving spells above those that can be granted by Shar's servitors."

Eilistraee's brow furrowed. "That is worrying. Something must, indeed, have happened to her. I shall tell my priestesses in Ust Natha to advise their colleagues who follow Shar that I shall grant them their spells during Shar's absence. I can do nothing for her human priests, I am afraid, but it is in Ust Natha that the lack of spells would be most keenly felt."

"And my former colleague Viconia?" Yoshimo asked.

"If she prayed to me I would grant her spells, certainly," Eilistraee said, "but I have no worshippers in her vicinity to inform her. She may have to do without her higher spells until Shar returns."

"I hope that is soon," Yoshimo said.

"I shall do what I can to help," Eilistraee promised. "First I shall ask Selûne if she noticed anything unusual as Shar departed. Her servitors will not drive me away. I shall summon you as soon as I learn anything."

"Thank you, Lady," Yoshimo said. He bowed deeply. "Farewell."

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"Greetings, Selûne," Eilistraee said.

Selûne gave Eilistraee a beaming smile and moved to embrace her. "It is good to see you, Eilistraee," she said.

"And you, sister of the moon," Eilistraee replied. She returned Selûne's hug and then stepped back. She swept her arm to indicate the swarms of petitioners who danced on the moonlit plains. "It seems that you are having a celebration. I did not know that this was a time of festival."

"It is a joyous time for us," Selûne said. Her smile grew broader. "I have wonderful news."

"Oh? And what is this wonderful news?" Eilistraee asked.

"Come, I shall show you," Selûne replied. She led the drow goddess across the plains to a building of glowing rock and opened the door. Eilistraee heard the sound of a woman's voice singing as she followed the moon goddess into the building.

"_Each day within his prison cell  
He looks out through the bars  
He reads the letters that she wrote  
One day he'll know the taste of freedom_

_Over the hills and far…_"

The song cut off as the two goddesses entered the prison chamber. Eilistraee's mouth dropped open as she saw the caged and chained figures within.

"See," Selûne proclaimed, gesturing at the cages, "I have defeated my enemy. Shar is my prisoner and will remain so for eternity."

Eilistraee's gaze swung between the prisoners and Selûne. She closed her mouth and frowned. "You imprisoned her? It had been my thought that perhaps she had been ambushed by some foe, Lolth perhaps or even Lathander, on her exit from your realm. I came here to ask if you had news of her."

"Wonderful news, as I said," Selûne told Eilistraee, still smiling, "for I captured her before she could escape."

Eilistraee shook her head. "You sound proud of what you have done. Instead you should be deeply ashamed. She came to you to parley and you broke your word. This was an ill deed, Selûne, and I would have thought you above such things. You must release her."

Selûne's eyebrows rose. "Release her? Surely you jest. We have fought for eons. I would be a fool to pass up such an opportunity to end the war."

"Did she not come to make peace?"

"So she claimed," Selûne said, "but I was not taken in by her lies."

"_Her_ lies?" Eilistraee's nostrils flared as she drew a deep breath and held it for a moment. "To break the sanctity of a parley is dishonorable. A betrayal most shameful." 

"She has no honor and would betray me in an instant," Selûne replied, with a shrug of her shoulders. "Why should I not do the same to her?"

"Because you are supposed to be a Power of Good," Eilistraee said. She turned away from Selûne and faced Shar. "I am sorry that our first meeting has to be in such circumstances, my Lady. I owe you much."

"I take it your meeting with Vhaeraun went well, then?" Shar's eyes flickered towards Selûne. "Your brother, of course, has more honor than my sister."

Selûne gave a snort of contempt. "He is an evil thief," she said.

Eilistraee turned a cold glare upon Selûne. "He is my brother, and I love him dearly," she snapped.

Selûne frowned. "But you have fought him for… well, not as long as I have fought Shar, but for thousands of years."

"No longer," said Eilistraee, "for we are reconciled. It is true that there remain some differences between us, as yet, but we shall work them out amicably." She glanced at Shar and then faced Selûne once more. "Even if your differences with your sister are too great for such resolution surely you did not need to resort to black treachery. You have behaved like… like Cyric."

Selûne's lips tightened. "Do not accuse me of treachery. By this act I have removed a great evil from the Realms."

"No good can come from an evil action," Eilistraee said. "I will not stay here. I am too angry to engage in further discourse with you. I shall return to my own realm." She curled her upper lip. "Unless, of course, you detain me also."

"How can you suggest I would so such a thing?" Selûne's eyes were wide.

"Someone who betrays one person may well betray another," Eilistraee pointed out. "Who is your other prisoner?"

"One of my Shards who turned against me," Selûne explained. "She was seduced by Shar's evil."

"The Kiss of Shar?" Eilistraee asked. Selûne nodded. "Then it is not her fault," Eilistraee pointed out. "Should you not seek to dispel it rather than to punish your servant for something that she could not help?"

"Perhaps," Selûne conceded. "I shall consider it. For the time being she shall remain in this cell."

"Shar has already released me from her thrall," Egeria said, "but I will not return to the service of one who breaks the laws of hospitality so cavalierly. I would rather stay in this cell than serve you again."

"As you wish," Selûne said, glaring at the planetar.

"If you will not release your prisoners it seems that I am wasting my time here," Eilistraee said. "I shall go now. I may return when I am feeling less angry."

"Go if you must," Selûne said. "I am sure that, once you have reflected, you will accept that I was right to take this opportunity to strike a great blow against Evil."

"I doubt it," Eilistraee said, "but we shall see. Farewell."

"Wait, Lady Silverhair," Shar called out. "I ask a boon. Protect my Chosen from the vengeance of Lolth."

"Viconia De'Vir? Of course I shall, and Talabrae, and your other priestesses in Ust Natha also," Eilistraee promised. She squinted slightly, focusing her eyes on Shar past the bright beams that formed the bars of the cage, and a half smile came to her lips. "Those clothes – I take it that they are undergarments? – are quite delightful. I have seen nothing like them before."

"They are a style from a world called California," Shar explained, "and were brought to Faerûn by one Anya Jenkins, a friend to my Chosen. They are nice, aren't they? These black ones wouldn't suit you, of course, but I created a set in white to wear when I take the form of a drow and you'd look ravishing in them."

"I don't normally bother with undergarments," Eilistraee said, "or indeed any garments, but you are right that they'd look good on me in white." Her smile grew broad and her eyes twinkled. "I have a recently deceased petitioner, Evelintra, who has breasts that are truly spectacular compared to those of most drow. In those garments she would be truly a sight to dazzle male eyes."

"They're very pretty clothes," Selûne agreed, a hint of a smile appearing on her face too. "That lace trim…" She chopped herself off short and her smile was once more replaced by a frown. "Enough of this pointless chatter about clothes. You said that you were leaving, did you not, Eilistraee? Do so, then, unless you accept that my action in imprisoning Shar was just and righteous."

"Unjust and unrighteous, you mean," Eilistraee said. "I shall go, Selûne, but I shall return when I have better marshaled my arguments." She turned to Shar again and dipped her head. "Vedaust, quar'valsharess," she said, and turned away towards the door.

"Vedaust, abbil," Shar replied. She directed her gaze at Selûne, raised an eyebrow, and adopted a slight sneer. "You dismiss the topic of these undergarments too soon, sister. They have more to offer than merely being attractive to the eye. They serve a practical role in supporting breasts that have begun to succumb to the ravages of gravity. You could benefit greatly."

Selûne glared at Shar. "Are you saying that my breasts… sag? That is not so. Merely because one of my avatars is in the form of a matron of mature years does not mean that I need any such 'support'."

Egeria broke into laughter. Eilistraee uttered a strangled snort, her cheeks bulged, and she hurried out of the door.

Selûne's jaw tightened. "I shall waste no more time on you," she said. She turned and departed in Eilistraee's wake.

"That was entertaining," Shar said. "Now, where was I with the song? Almost at the end, I think. I shall start another."

"_Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak_

_Somewhere in this town_

_See me and the boys we don't like it_

_So we're getting up and going down…_"

- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 –

Disclaimer: Shar, Selûne, Vhaeraun, and Eilistraee are the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The lyrics quoted by Shar are from 'Shadows of the Night' by Pat Benatar, 'Over the Hills and Far Away' by Gary Moore, and 'Jailbreak' by Thin Lizzy.


	3. To the Moon and Back

**To the Moon and Back**

Yoshimo bowed to the goddess. "You have news of my mistress, Lady Eilistraee?"

"I have," Eilistraee confirmed. "She is held captive by Selûne."

"Hah!" Yoshimo grunted. "I suspected as much, but you told me I must be mistaken."

"You were right after all, and I was wrong," said Eilistraee. "I would never have believed it."

Yoshimo scowled and his fingers went to the hilt of his katana. "Such treachery dishonors her."

"That is exactly what I told Selûne," Eilistraee said, "but she did not listen. She will not release your mistress. We shall have to rescue her." 

Yoshimo's eyebrows climbed and his eyes widened. "Rescue one goddess from the prison of another? It will not be easy." He grinned. "Of course, if it was easy then everyone would be doing it."

Eilistraee grinned back at him. "I take it that you are willing to take part?"

"Of course," Yoshimo said. "Who could resist such a grand adventure?"

"You must take care," Eilistraee warned him. "If you are slain in the realm of Selûne your soul will be forever destroyed."

Yoshimo's eyebrows climbed but the grin remained on his face. "I shall be careful. Yet nothing worthwhile is without risk."

"Shar is fortunate indeed to have such a servant," Eilistraee praised him. "I have a plan as to how we can achieve this. Am I correct in believing that you were, in life, a skilled thief?"

"A bounty hunter," Yoshimo corrected her, "but the skills involved are the same. I can disarm traps, pick locks, and slink unobserved in the shadows as well as any thief."

"Shadows will be few and far between in the realm of Selûne," Eilistraee said, "but sentries will also be few, or so I hope, for no-one evil can enter her domain against her will. I shall visit her with a retinue of my petitioners and hide you amongst them. I will try to keep Selûne busy and thus give you a chance to reach Shar's prison and set her free."

"I am at your command, Lady Silverhair," Yoshimo said, "but I hope that it does not mean that I shall have to dress as a woman."

Eilistraee tilted her head to one side and scrutinized him. "It would be amusing," she said, her eyes twinkling, "but the moustache would probably give the game away. You need not fear, Yoshimo, for I have male worshippers; even some human males, although I suspect that most of them joined my church simply for the chance to see comely drow females dancing naked under the moon."

Yoshimo nodded slowly and his eyes twinkled to match hers. "I can think of less appealing inducements to join, certainly."

"I think, however, that you would stand out less if disguised as a half-drow," Eilistraee decided. "Some stain for your skin, perhaps dye for your hair – and, of course, we'll have to do something about your ears."

- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -

Yoshimo danced in the throng of Selûne's joyful and smiling petitioners. The music was the product of a cultural tradition not his own and held no resonances for him. It seemed rather plain and overly simple, compared with the exhilarating rhythms and melodies of some of the tunes he had heard performed by Giles, and sadly lacking in energy.

He went through the dance steps nonetheless, returning the smiles of his partners, despite feeling a strong urge to wipe off their smiles with vigorous applications of his fists. It wasn't their fault, he knew; they would have been told only that their goddess had captured her eternal enemy and not that she'd done it by treachery. They would be feeling elation equivalent to how he would feel if he heard that Sorkatani had slain Bodhi or Irenicus. He could understand their point of view, to some extent, but he still wanted to punch them.

The dance progressed to a change of partners. The Selûnite in front of him, a young woman in a long blue and white dress with an elaborate starched collar, was replaced by an almost naked drow priestess. Yoshimo's fake smile became genuine; not because of the nudity, although – as he had told Eilistraee – he didn't exactly find it off-putting, but because of the person. And because it meant that the time for action was here.

Evelintra, the recently deceased petitioner of Eilistraee, held out her hand to him and they moved through the forms of the dance. It was no more familiar to her than it was to him; both of them kept glancing to the side, watching the Selûnites, so that they could keep in step. They followed the example of the others and advanced towards each other, so that her breasts touched his chest, and she spoke.

"I tire of this dance," she said in Drow. "Let us go somewhere more private and enjoy ourselves in other ways."

"As you wish," Yoshimo replied in the same language. He would hardly call himself fluent in Drow, but he had picked up enough from Viconia to communicate reasonably well; certainly he spoke it better than Evelintra's shaky command of the Common Tongue of western Faerûn.

One of the Selûnite dancers frowned at them as they left the assembly. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Where we go?" Evelintra repeated, her words heavily accented, and she waved her hand in a vague indication of direction. "We go… there." She gave up on Common and spoke in Drow. "Udos ph'lorith whol natha suust k'lar vel'klar udos shlu'ta vith."

The Selûnite stared at her with blank incomprehension plainly written on her face. Yoshimo ventured an extremely watered-down translation. "We, ah, are taking a… romantic stroll," he said.

Evelintra grinned and made a hand gesture that unmistakably, and obscenely, conveyed the exact meaning of her words. The Selûnite blushed crimson. "Oh," she said. "G-g-go ahead."

Yoshimo and Evelintra strolled away from the dancers. Another drow couple also slipped away from the dance and headed in the same direction. A thought crossed Yoshimo's mind and caused a twinge of alarm. If any of Selûne's petitioners decided that a 'romantic stroll' sounded like a good idea, and followed the example of the drow, it would create awkward complications. Luckily, whether because the Selûnites were less carnally inclined than Eilistraee's followers or simply because the natives of this plane had homes to go to if they felt such desires, none of them left the dance.

"It had not occurred to me that there would be sex after death," Yoshimo remarked as they crossed the plain towards the isolated rock building that was their destination.

"If there was not, then it would be Hell," Evelintra replied. "Thus far I have found that there isn't _enough_ sex after death, as there simply aren't all that many male worshippers of Eilistraee to go around, but perhaps things will change if we can fraternize more with the worshippers of Vhaeraun in the future." She glanced around to check that there were no Selûnites in the vicinity. It wasn't safe to take it for granted that they could not speak Drow. "And with Shar's worshippers too. You are not unattractive. Shall we fuck for real after the mission is over?"

Yoshimo swallowed. "Ah, thank you, but I think not," he replied. "I would be happy to call you a friend, Evelintra, but I desire nothing more. My heart belongs only to Sorkatani."

"She is alive, and you are dead," Evelintra pointed out, "and so it would hardly count as being unfaithful. Still, it is your choice, and if you wish only friendship that is agreeable to me also." She stared ahead and her eyes narrowed. "It seems that our target is not unguarded."

Yoshimo followed her gaze. A planetar stood beside the prison. Her white skin had a pearly luster and her long hair was a light sky-blue, and she stood some six and a half feet tall, but otherwise she appeared to be a young human woman. "One of Selûne's Shards," he said. "I expected nothing less. Formidable, no doubt, but we must prevail."

The Shard moved to bar their path as they drew near to the building. "You may not enter," she declared. "Entry is forbidden by order of Selûne, the Moonmaiden, Mistress of this realm."

"Usstan xuat kampi'un dos," Evelintra said. She gave the Shard a beaming smile. "Ud'phuul lac'nou natha k'lar ulu vith. Nindol k'lar gukluth suust z'lonzic."

The other drow couple arrived. A male called Solaufein, who Yoshimo had been told was a highly skilled fighter, and a female drow named Ulvira. They walked up to the Shard without haste and with smiles on their faces.

The Shard rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you came here if you don't speak the language," she said. "I suppose I'll have to cast a _Tongues_ spell."

"I speak some," Evelintra said. "What you say? I say – nin!" At her signal Yoshimo and the three drow hurled themselves on the Shard in sudden and all-out assault.

Planetars have highly-attuned senses, and fast reflexes, and it is said that it is impossible to take one by surprise. In these circumstances that turned out not to be true. Yoshimo had the Shard in a wrist-lock before she even realized that she was under attack.

They had to do it the hard way. A planetar is highly resistant to magic, especially in its home realm, and they were hampered by having no wish to cause the Shard serious harm. All the drow bore two swords, a religious requirement for devout followers of Eilistraee, but they couldn't use the blades. Instead they bludgeoned her with the pommels, raining blows upon her with frantic haste, while she struggled to shield herself and to free herself from Yoshimo's grip. She failed. She was much stronger than him, as strong as a hill giant, but Yoshimo had leverage on his side. When she tried to bring her other hand across to break the lock she left her head unshielded. Blows thudded home and she slumped to the ground.

Yoshimo wore a small backpack. It was slightly incongruous for the ostensible purpose of their visit to Selûne's realm but it was essential, as there was no other way of concealing the tools necessary for the job, and luckily none of the Selûnites had thought to query it. He slipped it from his shoulders, opened it, and pulled out a set of shackles. For a moment, as they hastily chained and gagged the fallen Shard, he was struck by an eerie sense of unreality. It took him a few seconds to recognize the cause of the sensation; no-one was panting for breath, despite their furious burst of desperate activity. A side benefit of being dead.

The Shard wore a belt with a small pouch fastened to it. Yoshimo thought it highly unlikely that it was a purse for coins and he checked it out. It held a key. "Surely it cannot be this easy," he remarked. "If I had designed the prison this key would snap off in the lock and seal it." He had spoken in Common and so repeated his remark in Drow as he made for the door. "The real key would be somewhere else," he added.

Evelintra grinned at him. "You are cunning," she said. "You would have made a fine drow. I doubt if the Selûnites possess such subtlety." Solaufein and Ulvira nodded agreement.

The key turned in the lock and the door opened. They wasted no time in entering, carrying the unconscious Shard between them, and then Solaufein and Ulvira left again to serve as look-outs.

"Yoshimo," Shar greeted him. When first he had met his goddess her smiles had seemed forced and artificial, as if she was adopting an expression she had been told about but with no real understanding of the emotions involved, but now her beaming smile lit up her whole face. "It's good to see you."

"Thank you, my Lady," Yoshimo replied. "We shall get you out of here as quickly as we can." He hastened to examine the bars.

They were beams of light, intangible and offering no resistance to the passage of physical objects, but when he passed his hand through a beam he felt searing pain. When he withdrew his arm his skin was blistered. He guessed that the light would have an even greater effect upon Shar. "We must block the beams," he said. "Our swords, perhaps?" He drew his katana and used it to break the path of one of the rays. This revealed that they were projected both from the ceiling and the floor. He held out his reserve sword, a short wakizashi, and was able to create a gap by blocking the rays in two places. "This works, but it is awkward."

"If they are moonbeams they will not harm the Shard," Evelintra suggested. "I might be immune, too, but I'd rather not make the experiment."

They dragged the Shard to the cage and maneuvered one of her feet into the path of a beam. Nothing happened. She didn't stir and there was no visible effect upon her skin. "Excellent," Yoshimo said, as he and Evelintra rolled the Shard over to block the beams at the bottom. He shielded himself with his katana and slipped through the bars. "Now to get you out of these chains, Mistress."

He examined the glowing shackles that held Shar's arms and legs and bound her to a pillar. "They have no locks," he said, frowning. "I will have to cut through them. I am prepared," he announced, extracting a wire saw from his bag of lock-picks and tools, "but it will take time. Perhaps too long."

"Fear not, my good and faithful servant," Shar said. "Find something to shield my wrists from the light of the chains, and to put my mouth into shadow, and I can snap them."

"Your mouth into shadow?" Yoshimo did not understand what she meant.

"I can work magic with song," Shar clarified, "but this light saps my power. I must have at least partial shade for me to be able to imbue the song with force enough to shatter steel."

"Of course, my Lady," Yoshimo said. He used his katana to cut sections from the Shard's robes and slipped the cloth between her skin and the chains. He held another piece of cloth in front of her face and maneuvered until he shielded her mouth from the light without bringing the cloth close enough to muffle her voice. "Will that do?"

"It will," Shar confirmed. "Thank you." She stamped her feet, making the chains jingle, and then opened her mouth and sang.

"_Listen to the wind blow_

_Down comes the night_

_Run in the shadows_

_Damn your love_

_Damn your lies_

_Well you may have fooled me now_

_But you'll never fool me again_

_And despite your betraying_

_I will surely break the chain…_"

As she sang the last line she jerked hard against the chains around her wrists. The links shattered. She unwound the rest of the chains, freeing her legs, and stepped free.

Yoshimo raised his eyebrows. "I see you have learned from Giles," he commented. He tucked the piece of cloth into his belt, in case it might be needed again, and used his katana once more to block the light beams and create a gap in the bars for Shar to use.

"I have indeed," Shar said. "His repertoire of songs is full of possibilities for magic and I have had ample time during this imprisonment to consider their use." She stepped out of the cage. "Now to free Egeria." She waited for Yoshimo to follow her out of the cage and then dragged the Shard's body away from the beams. She picked up the body, carried the Shard over to the other cage, and laid her down.

Forty seconds later Egeria was free. "Thank you, mistress," she said. She turned to Yoshimo and bowed her head. "And thank you."

"Egeria, this petitioner is Yoshimo, relatively new in my service but greatly valued by me," Shar introduced. "Yoshimo, meet Egeria. I charmed her at first but she has freely chosen to stay in my service since I lifted the charm."

Yoshimo narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the former Shard. "I am pleased to meet you," he said. He remembered his own situation in the service of Irenicus, when his seeming escape had been rigged so that he could attach himself to Sorkatani and her companions as a sleeper agent, and for a moment he suspected that Egeria might be filling the same role. He examined the possibility and decided that it was unlikely. Nothing he had encountered in Selûne's realm showed that level of forethought and sophistication.

Egeria dipped in a small curtsey. "I greet you, Yoshimo," she said. She looked down at her unconscious former colleague. "We must leave at once," she warned. "When Pherousa awakes she will send out a call for help. The cloth in her mouth will not hinder her."

"We must disguise you, mistress, so that you are not recognized on sight," Yoshimo said. "The robes of the unconscious one, perhaps?"

"I have a better idea," Shar said. "Shield me from the light for a moment."

Yoshimo and Egeria obeyed. Immediately Shar transformed into the form of a drow. Her bra hung loose on her smaller body and her panties slipped downward. She allowed them to fall, stepped out of them, and unhooked her bra.

"You will need a pendant and two swords, if you are to pass as one of Eilistraee's worshippers," Evelintra said, "and we did not think to bring spares."

"Take this," Yoshimo offered, removing the pendant from his own neck. "It will seem as if mine is out of sight beneath my clothes."

"It is a good thing that it is only Eilistraee's female worshippers who go in for nudity," Shar commented, as she took the pendant.

"I think it is a shame," Evelintra contradicted her, "although perhaps not in these circumstances."

"You are Evelintra, are you not? I recognize you from Eilistraee's description," Shar said. "We shall talk later."

Yoshimo had averted his eyes, as he felt that ogling the naked breasts of his deity might be pushing the limits of her new tolerance a little too far, and he spotted a sword belt propped against one of the prison walls. "Well, I have found one sword for you, my Lady," he announced.

"That is mine," Egeria said. She had not understood those parts of the conversation involving Evelintra, all of which had been in Drow, and did not realize that Shar needed two swords to complete her disguise. Yoshimo gave Egeria a quick translated recap as he retrieved the sword and passed it to his goddess.

"There is another sword here," Evelintra said, pointing down at the unconscious and bound Shard. She unfastened the planetar's sword belt, slid it free, and gave it to Shar.

Each of the two belts held a sword and a mace. They removed the mace from one, and slid free the scabbard from the other, and soon had one belt with two swords and another with two maces. Egeria donned the belt with maces and Shar the one with the swords. "They would be overly long for me to wield effectively in this body," Shar remarked, "but as symbols they will serve well. Hopefully there will be no need for combat. Let us depart."

- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -

"You have betrayed me!" Selûne glared at Eilistraee. "How could you? You have been corrupted by Evil. Perhaps I should have expected it from the daughter of a demon."

"I will not stand for injustice," Eilistraee replied. "You should know this. I did not want to jeopardize our friendship but there was nothing else that I could do."

"You could have just minded your own business," Selûne said.

"No," Eilistraee contradicted her, "I could not. You would not listen to reason and therefore I had no choice but to take action."

"There is nothing more bitter than the treachery of a so-called friend," Selûne said, her upper lip curling in a sneer. "Perhaps I should imprison you in her place."

Eilistraee's lips tightened. "You could try."

"I shall recapture Shar first," Selûne declared. She swept an arm in a circle. A Wall of Moonlight surrounded Eilistraee. Selûne's sneer grew more pronounced. "I will decide how to deal with you on my return." She teleported herself away.

Eilistraee stood still for a few seconds, making a conscious effort to relax, and fighting back the anger that was threatening to run away with her. It occurred to her that it was probably anger, or hatred, that was distorting Selûne's personality and actions; making her paranoid, obsessive, and stupidly forgetful. Eilistraee did not want to make the same mistake. She took a deep breath, walked through the Wall of Moonlight, and went to see if Shar had managed to escape.

Selûne was facing the exit from her realm, her lips tight and her fists clenched, and a flock of her Shards milled around her. Selûne turned around as she sensed Eilistraee approaching and her eyes widened. "How did you get out?"

Eilistraee rolled her eyes. "Has your intelligence, then, completely deserted you? You used a Wall of _Moonlight_ to bar my exit. What is your next cunning plan? Will you, perhaps, use a Wall of Water to trap a fish, or a Wall of Fire to pen a red dragon, and then wrack your brains as you wonder how they escaped?"

Selûne's cheeks reddened. "I… forgot, in the heat of the moment, that you are also a goddess of the moon."

"You forgot? We've known each other for nearly fourteen thousand years and you forgot? I take it that it took you the first ten thousand to be able to remember the color of my hair."

"Such mockery is uncalled for," Selûne said.

"It's either use sarcasm or else belabor you about the head with the flat of my sword," Eilistraee said. "The choice is yours. I am ill pleased with you, Selûne, and it will be long before our friendship returns to what it was unless you work hard to restore my trust."

"Your trust? What about mine? You deceived me, pretending that you wished to talk whilst secretly stealing away my prisoner," Selûne protested.

"A prisoner you had seized by breaking the sanctity of a parley," Eilistraee riposted, "and I told you that I sought her release. If you don't see the difference, well, that's your problem."

"Shar is Evil," Selûne declared, "and thus I was justified."

"No." Eilistraee shook her head. "It does not work that way, Selûne, and no-one is better qualified to know that than I am. You cannot defeat Evil by doing evil. The Ilythiiri tried that in the Crown Wars, when they were initially the innocent parties, and it led to them being blamed for everything and condemned to the Descent. Do you want to take the same path?"

Selûne snorted. "That comparison is ridiculous."

"Is it?" Eilistraee stared into Selûne's eyes until the other goddess looked away. "Be assured that we will talk more of this another time. Now, unless you are again going to try to detain me, I shall return to my home."

Selûne moved aside. Eilistraee advanced to the gates, stepped through without a farewell, and was gone.

- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -

Shar embraced Eilistraee. "Thank you," she said. "You have my gratitude and, if you will have it, my friendship."

"I accept both gladly," Eilistraee said. "I was only too happy to repay the debt that I owe you for your part in my reconciliation with Vhaeraun."

"You do me too much credit," Shar said. "I thought only of the logic behind an alliance. It is Yoshimo whom you must thank."

"I have," Eilistraee said. "He is a good servant, Shar, and deserves to be well rewarded for what he has done for you."

"Indeed so," Shar agreed. "I have thought upon a suitable reward and I have something in mind."

Eilistraee grinned. "My servant Evelintra would have rewarded him but he turned her down. She was disappointed, and somewhat taken aback, as she is unused to rejection from males."

"I can see why," Shar said. "If there was to be a demi-goddess of spectacular breasts then Evelintra would be the prime contender for the position." Her eyes twinkled. "I would like to reward her, and your other petitioners who took part, for their assistance in my rescue. In her case I think that the most appropriate reward would be a set of underwear patterned after mine; although, of course, slightly differently proportioned."

"That would please her, I am sure," Eilistraee agreed.

"And another set for you also," Shar added, "if you so desire."

"I'd love a set," Eilistraee said. "I may spend much of my time nude but those undergarments are indeed very pretty."

"Then you shall have them," Shar said. "Also, I plan on hosting a small gathering of gods to engage in conversation, to hear some music, and perhaps some dancing. I would love you to come, of course, and perhaps you could bring along Evelintra and the others who helped rescue me. I shall ask Vhaeraun to bring a select few of his most handsome and least evil petitioners. Evelintra may find someone among them who can compensate her for Yoshimo's rejection."

"A party? Count me in," said Eilistraee, "and I shall bring my followers as you ask."

"I am pleased," Shar said. "I will invite no-one too evil, I promise, only those who can be relied upon to behave themselves and ensure that the gathering is convivial." A smile played on her lips. "Tell me, Eilistraee, have you met Hoar, god of poetic justice?"

- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -

Shar stood within the Crystal Spire and faced the god of death. "I am looking for the deceased sister of one of my petitioners," she told him. "She was originally from Kozakura, in Kara-Tur, but she died in Faerûn."

Kelemvor, Judge of the Damned, raised an eyebrow slightly behind his silver mask. "She might be with the Eight Million Gods of Kara-Tur, and not within my jurisdiction, but I shall find out," he said. "Jergal will have the records. I shall summon…"

The Scribe of the Dead appeared at his shoulder. "YOU CALLED, MASTER?"

"You don't need to call me 'Master'," Kelemvor said. "I've told you many times."

"IT'S TRADITIONAL, MASTER," Jergal said. His voice was hollow, sepulchral, and reminiscent of the tolling of an ancient bell. "WHO DO YOU SEEK, LADY SHAR?"

"Her personal name was Tamoko and her family name Ishii," Shar told him. "I don't know which way round she used the names. I would guess the Faerûnian way but I'm not certain. She died last year in Baldur's Gate."

"ONE MOMENT, LADY SHAR," Jergal said. He opened a massive tome. "AH, YES. TAMOKO ISHII, AGE 22, SUICIDE. SHE IS IN THE WALL."

"What?" Shar's eyes widened. "The Wall of the Faithless? That's horrible. Get her out."

"I can't do that," Kelemvor said. "She has been Judged."

"RE-EVALUATED, RATHER," Jergal said. "LORD KELEMVOR INITIALLY PLACED HER IN THE GUARD OF THE CITY OF JUDGMENT, ALONG WITH MINOR SINNERS FROM AMONGST THE FALSE, AND SHE SERVED WELL. IT WAS ONLY AFTER CERTAIN COMPLAINTS WERE MADE ABOUT MY LORD'S JUDGMENTS THAT SHE WAS RE-ASSIGNED TO THE WALL."

"Ah, yes, I remember," said Kelemvor. "She was an honorable warrior whose sins came about because she had fallen in love with, and given her loyalty to, the wrong man. And, of course, she had abandoned the Eight Million Gods of her homeland without choosing a patron deity of Faerûn to replace them."

"And so you sent her to the Wall of the Faithless? A harsh decision indeed. I had not thought you so heartless, Kelemvor."

"You were one of the Circle of Greater Gods who sat in judgment over me, less than half a year ago," Kelemvor reminded her, "and deemed that my mercy towards the Faithless threatened the divine order. I was held to be guilty of Incompetence by Humanity. It was to comply with the decision of the Circle that I remodeled the City of Judgment and re-instituted the Wall of the Faithless. She was Faithless and so had to be condemned to the Wall. "

Shar sighed. "I would not vote the same way today," she admitted. "I have come to realize that there are better ways to win the worship of mortals than with threats of torment. I wish to reward a faithful petitioner, who has done me great service, by re-uniting him with his departed sister. Please release her."

"I cannot do that," Kelemvor said. "She must suffer her duly ordained fate."

"Cannot, or will not?" Shar asked. "What harm would it do to pardon her? I claim her in the name of her brother, loyal and faithful to me, and I implore you to set her free."

"There can be no exceptions," Kelemvor stated. "That is how it was decreed." His tone softened. "You show compassion that I would not have expected of you. I sympathize, and I would accede to your request if I could, but my hands are tied."

Shar's eyes had narrowed at his pronouncement, and her lips tightened, but she relaxed slightly at his latter words. "They are tied only because you allow them to be tied," she said. "There has to be a way around it."

"There is not," Kelemvor said, "or I would have found a loophole when Mystra came to me to plead for Adon's soul. The judgment is irrevocable."

"THUS IT WAS ORDAINED," Jergal confirmed. "SO MOTE IT BE."

"I do not accept that," Shar said. "I will not go back to Yoshimo only to tell him 'All in all she's just another brick in the wall'. There must be a way. I will find it, Kelemvor, no matter what it takes." She turned to leave but spoke once more before departing. "I'll be back."

**The End**

**Glossary of Drow phrases**

• 'Udos ph'lorith whol natha suust k'lar vel'klar udos shlu'ta vith' = 'We are looking for a quiet place where we can fuck'

• 'Usstan xuat kampi'un dos' = 'I don't understand you'

• 'Ud'phuul lac'nou natha k'lar ulu vith' = 'We seek somewhere in which to fuck'

• 'Nindol k'lar gukluth suust z'lonzic' = 'This place seemed quiet enough'

• 'nin!' = 'now!'

Disclaimer: Shar, Selûne, Vhaeraun, Eilistraee, Kelemvor and Jergal are the property of Wizards of the Coast Inc., and Yoshimo and Solaufein belong to WotC and also to Bioware. The lyrics sung, and amended, by Shar are from 'The Chain' by Fleetwood Mac; she also quotes from Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall Part 2'.


End file.
